The Summer Academy in Sustainable Manufacturing is a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site hosted at Wayne State University. The site offers unique summer undergraduate research experiences in the challenging field of sustainable manufacturing to local and national undergraduate students from two and four-year institutions. The objective of the program is to introduce undergraduate students to the forefront of sustainable manufacturing research and to provide students with the skills and pathways to pursue advanced degrees or careers in sustainable manufacturing. The intensive, ten-week summer research and professional development experience hosts ten students per summer. NSF national priority areas such as advanced manufacturing and sustainability are addressed by the undergraduate research thrust areas. Research project thrust areas include: 1) nano-coating and lightweight materials and manufacturing, 2) energy storage materials, batteries, and inversion devices, 3) remanufacturing and sustainability assessment, and 4) chemical-energy-water nexus. In addition to faculty mentor led research projects, the program offers other learning activities such as; research skill development seminars, local manufacturing plant visits, tutorials on the fundamentals of sustainable engineering, and an end-of-summer research poster symposium. The first group of students was hosted at Wayne State in summer 2016 with funding for two more groups in summer 2017 and 2018. In this poster, we present the 2016 group of undergraduate researchers and the results from recruitment activities, research projects, and surveys from the first year of the Summer Academy in Sustainable Manufacturing. Student recruitment was carried out nationwide and resulted in a diverse group of undergraduate researchers. Participant research activities culminated in an end-of-summer poster symposium and a final undergraduate research paper. Site evaluation was carried out with a student survey requesting participants to comment on the relevance of the program activities and each student’s undergraduate research experience was evaluated with SURE surveys from Grinnell College. The results of the evaluations and experience gained during the first year of the Summer Academy in Sustainable Manufacturing will guide execution of years two and three.
Dr. Jeremy L. Rickli received his B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 2006 and 2008 and received his Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech prior to joining Wayne State in 2013. At Wayne State, he has created the Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Systems Laboratory (MaRSLab). MaRSLab targets fundamental and applied research in manufacturing and remanufacturing processes and systems while encouraging considerations for sustainability and life-cycle thinking in design, manufacturing, use, and recovery. Specific research thrusts include: transforming manufacturing quality monitoring and remanufacturing core condition assessment via automated laser line scanning systems; remanufacturing core management considering uncertain core quality, quantity, and timing; and integrating design for disassembly and remanufacturing into CAD/CAM tools. He has collaborated in the past with industrial partners on projects involving residual stresses in lightweight aluminum alloy side rails, manufacturing process simulation, and enhancing end-of-life truck acquisition decisions. Dr. Rickli is also actively involved in outreach activities with Athletes for Charity STEM Youth Literacy Program, which provides Detroit Public Schools with STEM educational sessions.
Yinlun Huang is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. His research has been focused on the fundamental study of multiscale complex systems science and sustainability science, with applied study on sustainable nanomaterial development, integrated design of sustainable product and process systems, and manufacturing sustainability. He has published widely in these areas. He directs the NSF funded Sustainable Manufacturing Advances in Research and Technology Coordination Network.
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